Catholic groups win NY contraceptive ruling

A Brooklyn judge has granted a permanent federal injunction that exempts four organizations with ties to the Catholic Church from being required to provide contraceptive care to its employees through a third party.

The Daily News says the ruling released Monday by Judge Brian Cogan in Federal District Court in Brooklyn affects more than 25,000 employees at two high schools, six hospitals, three nursing homes and several nonprofits.

A lawsuit was filed last year that challenged an Obama administration accommodation to nonprofits that had objected to the contraception mandate.

Under the Affordable Health Care Act, nonprofits are required to provide contraceptive coverage or authorize a third party to voluntarily provide coverage.

Cogan argued that forcing groups to authorize a third party to provide contraceptive care violated their religious beliefs.

The plaintiffs are Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx, Monsignor Farrell High School in Staten Island, the ArchCare group of nonprofits that provide health care to the poor and disabled, and Catholic Health Services of Long Island, which oversees six hospitals, three nursing homes and a hospice, the Daily News reported.

One comment

While I respect that the Catholic Church has a theologically-based rejection of contraception, I think it is overstepping its moral obligation when it acts to economically punish employees for availing themselves of this health care provision in the law if they choose to do so. Overriding the moral choices of individuals does, in itself, raise another moral question.